Fire Investigation & Litigation

With two Certified Fire and Explosion Investigators by the National Association of Fire Investigators, Stites & Harbison is routinely asked to help product manufacturers and insurers defend personal injury and property damage claims alleged to be caused by fire, explosions, or other catastrophic events. The Firm has decades of experience handling fire litigation. Our success is that we work as a team closely with client representatives and experts. We have shaped a trusted group of experts across the United States to assist with fire investigations and defense of fire lawsuits tailored to case complexity and size to effectively and efficiently provide clear and concise assessments.

Our representative clients include national and international consumer and commercial manufacturers and service providers for public and private utilities and utility contractors and residential and commercial products, building materials, fire suppression systems, heating and air conditioning systems, gas and propane line equipment, farm and outdoor maintenance products, and large scale commercial manufacturing machinery and components.

We are active industry leaders as members of the Product Liability Advisory Council, Defense Research Institute Fire Science Litigation and Product Liability Committee, the American Bar Association, the National Fire Protection Association, the Federation of Defense Corporate Counsel, Lawyers for Civil Justice, and the National Association of Fire Investigators.

Below is a highlight of our experience:

• U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky, Case No. 3:21-cv-239 (defense of lithium battery box manufacturer utilized for military applications)
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee, Case No. 1:22-CV-01265 (defense of electrical utility component manufacturer)
• Knott Circuit Court, Case No. 01-CI-00130 (serious personal injury defense of gas well operator and gas distribution systems)
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky, Case No. 3:05-CV-812 (electrical fatality defense of electrical utility contractor)
• U.S. Eastern District of Kentucky, Case No. 0:06-cv-116 (defense of power tool manufacturer)
• U.S. District Court, Western District, Case No. 3:17-cv-60 (defense of skid steer manufacturer)
• Campbell Circuit Court, Case No. 17-CI-00188 (defense of UTV manufacturer)
• Pulaski County Kentucky Circuit Court, Case No. 05-CI-005202005 (residential fire fatality defense of gas regulator manufacturer)
• Nelson County Kentucky Circuit Court, Case No. 08-CI-1022016 (residential fire fatality (10 individuals) defense of landlord regarding smoke alarm installation and maintenance)
• Fayette County Kentucky Circuit Court, Case No. 20-CI-03711 (residential fire fatality defense of commercial landlord regarding smoke alarm installation and maintenance)
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of North Carolina, Case No. 7:20-cv-68 (defense of heating controller system manufacturer)
• U.S. District Court of South Carolina, Case No. 2:18-cv-2248 (defense of power tool manufacturer)
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, Case No. 6:18-cv-881 (defense of consumer product manufacturer)
• Cherokee South Carolina Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 2015-CP-0288 (defense of solenoid valve manufacturer)
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia, Case No. 2:18-cv-474 (defense of commercial gas system controller manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential gas explosion, Clinton Tennessee (defense of residential gas regulator manufacturer)
• Colleton County South Carolina Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 2013-CP-15-0411 (serious personal injury defense of electrical power system designer/installer for power plant)
• U.S. District Court of South Carolina, Case No. 2:16-cv-2468 (defense of insurer in declaratory action)
• Mahoning County Ohio Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 2014-CV-00574 (multiple fatality wastewater treatment plant explosion defense of gas valve systems manufacturer)
• Investigation and pre-suit resolution of multi-car fatality, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (defense of marina employer)
• Investigation and pre-suit resolution of rental vessel explosion Lake Cumberland, Kentucky (defense of marina operator)
• Investigation of rental vessel drowning Lake Cumberland, Kentucky (defense of marina operator)
• Investigation of rental vessel drowning Kings Point, North Carolina (defense of marina operator)
• Investigation of private vessel fire Ouachita River, Arkansas (defense of marina operator)
• Investigation of private vessel fire Lake Cumberland, Kentucky (defense of marina operator)
• Investigation of private vessel fire, Miami, Florida (defense of marina operator)
• Investigation and pursuit of fire damage claims against private vessel Lake Cumberland, Kentucky (defense of marina owner)
• Investigation of residential multiple fire fatalities, Jenkins, Kentucky (defense of gas well operator)
• Investigation of Murray State University, Kentucky Explosion Investigation (defense of commercial gas regulator manufacturer)
• Investigation of commercial fire Somerset, Kentucky (defense of commercial gas controller manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential fire Knoxville Tennessee (defense of residential compressor manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential water damage, Louisville Kentucky (defense of solenoid valve manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential fire fatality Louisville Kentucky (defense of residential gas regulator manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential fire Clinton, Kentucky(defense of residential gas regulator manufacturer)
• Investigation of restaurant fire, Cincinnati, Ohio (defense of commercial freezer manufacturer)
• Investigation of restaurant fire, Cincinnati, Ohio (defense of commercial dispenser manufacturer)
• Investigation of commercial fire in Lexington, Kentucky (defense of lithium ion battery powered power tool manufacturer)
• Investigation of restaurant fire, Laurel, Maryland (defense of commercial dispenser manufacturer)
• Investigation of vessel explosion, Lake Cumberland Kentucky (defense of marina operator)
• Investigation of pole-barn fire at thoroughbred farm, Mooresville, Indiana (defense of commercial tractor manufacturer)
• Investigation of commercial property fire Florence, Kentucky (defense of commercial gas valve and system controller manufacturer)
• Investigation of commercial property fire North Carolina (defense of commercial system controller manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential explosion fatality Grayson County, Kentucky (defense of residential propane regulator manufacturer)
• Investigation of chemical plant explosion Charleston, Tennessee (defense of multiple commercial gas system component manufacturer)
• Investigation of commercial plant explosion Kings Mountain, North Carolina (defense of emergency relief valve manufacturer for commercial autoclave)
• Investigation of residential fire Sanford, North Carolina (defense of high temperature limit switch manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential fire Nashville, Tennessee (defense of heating unit manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential fire Mt. Juliet, Tennessee (defense of heating fan system manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential fire Nashville, Tennessee (defense of high temperature limit switch manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential fire Knoxville, Tennessee (defense of residential gas valve manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential fire Nashville, Tennessee (defense of commercial vacuum manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential fire Franklin Tennessee (defense of residential floor heating system manufacturer)
• Investigation of residential fire Memphis, Tennessee (defense of compressor and motor manufacturer)